Empire: Part II Chapter 7
Chapter 7: The Meeting of Lords “Guard, we have to get the lords here as soon as possible,” Mel pleads. “I can’t even imagine the things that Norman is going to put her through.” “Don’t worry, I agree with you, Mel,” Guard says. “I want to get them back as much as you do. I’ve already contacted my brother and he promised to contact the other lords, but I don’t know how long it’s going to be before they arrive.” “I’m going to kill Norman for doing what he did. That man deserves to die a slow, painful death.” Guard nods his head in agreement and walks to the front of the ship. “I can already see a few ships, Mel. It looks like they came as fast as they could.” Mel joins Guard and watches as nine ships join the Emerald Behemoth. Nine captains all board the Emerald Behemoth and are brought to the briefing room. “So, Everest and Inferno have been captured, huh?” asks Sable, the head of the silhouette pirates. She’s about average height, has short black hair, is fairly curvy, and wears a red robe that covers her entire body. “How did the government manage that?” asks Hercules, the captain of the shark tail pirates. He’s only a little taller than Sable, has short blonde hair, is very muscular, wears body armor and carries a large sword on his back, and bares the crest of the Varenheim family. “Those two weren’t expected to ever get caught.” “I’m sorry to bring you here like this, brother,” Guard says, giving Hercules a hug. “They weren’t captured by force. They gave themselves up in order to save the rest of the crew.” “That makes more sense than them being overpowered. What do you say, council? Shall we make an assault plan to break them out of the government’s hands?” “It’s very risky, Varenheim,” Nolland Cross, the leader of the bane pirates, says. He stands at about seven feet tall, wears only pants and a cape, and has long black hair. “I’m not sure if we have the resources to pull it off.” “I agree, this would be a large risk,” Sable agrees. “How would we even go at it?” “While it would be very hard to pull off, those two would do the same for us and you know it,” Hercules says. “They gave up their freedom in order for their crew to live on. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think those two are more than deserving.” “Trust me, we know that,” Cross says. “I would gladly give my life for them, but we need to be realistic. If we lay siege to Dark Hades prison and we fail, our whole cause will crumble.” “This isn’t a full scale assault, Nolland,” Mel says. “Our only objective is to retrieve Everest and my wife and then get out of there as fast as possible. We know that we can’t take the government head on yet.” “So, this is a simple rescue mission, then?” Sable says, smiling. “Then, this shouldn’t be so difficult after all. I will go ahead first and infiltrate the prison. Once I know everything I need to know, I will give the rest of you the signal to start the mission.” “I think that’s a wonderful plan, Sable,” Hercules says. “Are the rest of you with us?” The rest of the lords nod in response. “Good, then we will set out immediately. Doing that should ensure that they won’t be in the prison itself for long.” “Everyone, thank you,” Mel says. “I know that my wife and Everest will be grateful for your help. Please, be safe out there.” “They will come home safely, Mel,” Hercules says. “We will make sure of that. Don’t worry about us, either. As a lord, you should know better than anyone that we are much tougher than we look.” Mel smiles and nods in understanding. The lords leave and set sail immediately with the Emerald Behemoth leading the convoy. “It looks like we really do have allies,” Guard thinks. “We’re coming for you, Captain. Just hang in there for us.” Everest and Inferno Inferno has been clothed once again and Lilith continues to stand guard over her. Inferno looks at the bars in front of her and begins to think about their plan. “If our crew fails, will these bars be the only things I see?” Inferno thinks. “No, I can’t think like that. I have to have faith in the crew. They’re all strong.” “Inferno, I can tell what you’re thinking,” Everest says. “I’ve had some doubts about it working too, but I think we can trust them. Remember, we also have allies that would be more than willing to help, too.” “Yea, the other lords have been a big help to us. I bet if they’ve heard about this, they’ll come for us too.” “I just hope that no one gets hurt. Those lords are much too kind and full of will to die in a place like Dark Hades.” “I believe in them. They’ll make sure that no one gets hurt in the operation.” Everest and Inferno smile, reassured that they will be saved. Norman In his quarters, the president has ordered a pirate captain to be brought to him. Several Marines drag in a man wearing a torn brown trench coat and brown cowboy hat. “Ah, Roy Woods,” Norman says, taking a sip of his wine. “I heard that you and your crew were the ones who made Everest’s ship look like that.” “Yea, and so what if we did?” Roy asks, avoiding eye contact. “We still were beaten by their crew in the end.” “While that is true, I think you have some real potential. How about I offer you a deal? In exchange for your life, you do some work for me as a privateer.” “And what happens to the rest of my crew?” “They will be imprisoned at Dark Hades. I can grant your freedom, but the rest of your crew is still too much of a threat to let go. Think about it. If you do this for me, you’ll still be able to walk around as a free man.” Roy thinks for a moment, and then looks up at president. “Alright, I’m in. What should be my first assignment?” “I want you to build a secret army. You are to train them and then hunt down the rest of the lords and their crews.” “Consider it done, sir.”